Drinking water of the highest category. bottled water rating

Every adult, regardless of lifestyle, needs to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day, because the human body is 75% liquid. At the same time, it is important to use clean water without impurities that adversely affect our health. Where and how can you check the quality of drinking water? Can this procedure be done at home?

From this article you will learn:

How to Prepare Water for Laboratory Testing

How can you check the quality of water at home

Who needs to test water quality and why?

Despite the fact that our body has plenty of fluid, we need to drink water every day. Why is regular water quality testing so important? Sometimes it is very difficult to identify water pollution, because not all of them have a pronounced character. However, there are distinguishing features that you should pay attention to if you plan to test the quality of the water:

Change in color, taste and smell. If you notice even the slightest change in the color, taste or smell of water, an examination is urgently needed to identify the cause of the problem. It is not at all necessary that the water has become dangerous, but it is still worth checking its quality in order to avoid subsequent health problems that can occur with the constant use of unsuitable liquids.

Construction of an industrial facility next to a site with a well. Basically, people themselves are to blame for water pollution. Construction next to a site with a well is more than likely to become a source of water pollution. Therefore, be careful and better once again check the quality of the water.

Technogenic accident near the site. In such a situation, checking the quality of the well water is simply necessary to make sure that toxic waste has not seeped into the soil and contaminated the water.

Buying a plot with a well. If you have become the proud owner of a site with a well, then first check its contents for suitability for use.

Installation of a water treatment system. When choosing a filter, you need to know exactly the composition of the water. After a few months have passed after the installation of the water treatment system, the water quality should be re-tested.

Not always testing water for quality is just a recommendation, often this is a direct requirement of the law. Medical, children's and health institutions undergo mandatory water examination. Industrial enterprises are required to test wastewater.

What drinking water quality can be tested

Before moving on to testing the quality of drinking water, it is important to understand that there are several types of water, each of which has its own individual characteristics. On the territory of the Russian Federation, there are many regulatory documents, based on which the quality of drinking water is checked. This list includes: SanPiN, hygienic standards, pharmacopoeia articles, state standards, specifications and much more. Each of these sources carries standards for testing water quality. If some are responsible for hygiene and epidemiological problems of drinking water in general, then others are focused strictly on checking the quality of water used for medical purposes or in a particular production. Either way, the goal of testing water quality is the same: to prevent contamination of drinking water in order to avoid gastrointestinal diseases and various kinds of infections.

Types of drinking water that can be explored:

tap water

It is necessary to periodically check the quality of tap water, since it is the main source of liquid in settlements. According to SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 “Drinking water. Hygienic requirements for water quality of centralized drinking water supply systems. Quality Control”, there is a certain list of standards that tap water must meet:

Hydrogen activity level in water – pH (6-9);

General mineralization (1000 mg/l);

Hardness (no more than 7.0 mg-eq/l);

Phenolic index (0.25 mg/l), etc.

This is only a small part of all the standards specified in SanPiN, which are important to adhere to when checking water quality. Their total number is approaching the mark of 1000 standards.

bottled water

Indicators for checking the quality of bottled water must comply with SanPiN 2.1.4.1116-02 “Drinking water. Hygienic requirements for the quality of water packaged in containers. Quality control". Hence the water is divided into two categories: the first and the highest. Water of the first category does not have a harmful effect on the human body. It fully complies with the established organoleptic characteristics, is safe both at the epidemiological and radiation levels. Water of the highest category not only meets the above standards, but is also extracted from environmentally friendly natural sources. Of course, the requirements for bottled water are much higher than for tap water. When checking the quality of bottled water, the salt and gas composition, the presence of toxic metals and non-metallic elements are analyzed. Also, checking the quality of bottled water helps to identify the level of radiation and bacteriological safety of the liquid.

Drinking water from natural sources

Natural sources include wells, wells, rivers, lakes, etc. When testing the quality of drinking water from natural sources, organoleptic characteristics and the presence of chemical impurities hazardous to health are taken into account. Water from natural sources has a variable chemical and bacteriological composition, which is influenced by the seasons and atmospheric phenomena.

Where can I check the water quality

Today, there are many organizations that are engaged in testing water for quality. The investigated liquid must comply with the standards established by GOST. Not only drinking water is sent for examination, but also waste, technical, mineral, purified, etc. Individual standards apply to each variety.

So, where can you check the water for quality:

Waterworks laboratory.

Laboratory of sanitary and epidemiological stations.

Independent private laboratories.

Rospotrebnadzor.

At the same time, pay attention to the accreditation and availability of a license of the selected organization, since unlicensed companies deprive you of all guarantees for quality control. In the event of problems, the water quality test will have no legal effect. Therefore, it is important that the organization obtain a license issued by the State Standard of the Russian Federation.


Also pay attention to the laboratory equipment: how modern it is. The newer the equipment, the faster the water quality test will be.

Upon completion of the examination, you will be given a protocol or act with all the necessary information on checking water quality. The document will indicate quantitative indicators of the chemical and mineral composition of the liquid, the concentration of substances, as well as conclusions on suitability and recommendations. If you are not satisfied with the results of the water quality test, you can always contact another laboratory.

What you need to do to test the quality of water in the laboratory

For quality testing of water, it is very important to take its sample correctly. If you decide to test the water for substances harmful to health, it is better to call a laboratory worker to take a sample. If you still wish to deliver the fluid sample yourself, please follow the instructions below:

Dishes for sampling for bacterial analysis are taken in the laboratory. When taking a water sample yourself, it is important that the bottle is from plain drinking water. Don't use a plastic bottle. It is important that it be glass, sterile clean.

It is necessary to allow the liquid to drain for about 5-10 minutes. Before you start drawing water to check its quality, it is important to start a strong stream from the tap and wait 5-10 minutes. You don't need to fill the bottle completely.

Rinse the bottle and cork several times thoroughly with the same water that is taken for analysis.. A sample for testing water quality should not contain foreign impurities, so before taking a sample, rinse the bottle and cork several times without detergents.

It is better to pour the liquid carefully along the wall of the bottle. This is done to avoid the formation of oxygen bubbles in the water, which will cause the oxidation process. This fact may affect the results of water quality testing.

Fill the bottle completely with water. It is necessary that the liquid overflows over the edge so that there is as little air as possible in the bottle. Then screw the cap on tightly.

It is advisable to immediately deliver the sample to the laboratory. The longer the water is in the bottle, the more its composition changes, as various chemical reactions take place in it. If you are not able to deliver a water quality sample immediately, then put the bottle of liquid in the refrigerator - this will reduce the rate of change as much as possible.

The amount of water for the sample should not be less than 1.5 liters, however, for more accurate information, it is better to call the laboratory itself. It is important to know that each water quality test requires its individual quantity. Some examinations oblige to take a water sample only in a glass or only in a plastic bottle. This should also be clarified in the laboratory where you will test the water for quality.

If you follow the above instructions, then checking the water for quality will allow you to get an accurate result.

How to check water quality at home using sensory analysis

Before moving on to the actual water quality test at home, let's figure out what it is. organoleptic properties. The organoleptic properties of water can be determined using ordinary human senses. Organoleptic analysis of water at home– quick and easy water quality testing without laboratory equipment. With this water quality test, you can determine:

Smell water. As you know, water is odorless. However, with the advent of organic substances, the smell of water becomes putrid, grassy, ​​fishy, ​​swampy, depending on which substance prevails. Depending on the dissolved gases, water may have a hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, ammonia or other smell. The saturation of the smell of water is measured on a five-point scale. If, in your opinion, the smell exceeds 3 points, then this sample of liquid is not suitable for drinking.

Taste water. The taste of water is also determined by the amount of organic and inorganic substances dissolved in it. If the water tastes salty, it means that it contains dissolved salts. If a metallic taste is detected during a water quality test, it means that there is too much iron in the liquid. Water with dissolved acids has a sour taste, and calcium sulfate contained in it gives an astringent taste. If there are no impurities in the water other than dissolved oxygen, then it will have a refreshing taste. The taste qualities of water are also measured on a 5-point scale. Again, if when testing water for quality, its taste properties turned out to be higher than 2 points, then it requires a laboratory analysis.

Color water. The color of water also depends on the content of impurities in it, on flowering in reservoirs or other reasons. Pure water has no color, however, it can be bluish or greenish. If the water contains too much organic impurities, it becomes yellow-brown in color. Depending on which chemical element prevails in the composition of water, the liquid can also change the color palette.

Turbidity water. Often, when testing water, turbidity can be detected, which is caused by a high content of suspended particles. Unlike the previous indicators, the turbidity of a liquid is measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L). Against the background of purified distilled water, the level of turbidity of the liquid taken for the sample becomes apparent. At the same time, the same lighting regime is observed, and special devices are used: a turbidity meter, a photocalorimeter, etc. If water from underground sources is practically transparent, then water, for example, flood water, has a strong turbidity, since the earth's surface contains a huge amount of undissolved chemical compounds and suspended particles.

Mineralization water. Mineralization refers to the amount of salts dissolved in water. It is measured in mg/l. When testing water for quality, it is important to know that water with a salt content of 200-400 mg / l is considered healthy. In addition, underground water is more mineralized than on the surface of the earth. If the liquid contains too much dissolved salts, then it has a salty or even bitter taste.

9 ways to check the quality of drinking water at home

Method 1.

There is an opinion that the purer the water, the lighter it is. It is enough just to weigh several different samples of water and thus find the best quality. For example, to test the quality of tap water, take a sample of it and compare it with a sample of water taken from a cooler.

Method 2.

You can also check the quality of drinking water at home by brewing strong tea. To do this, take a sample of water with tea and compare it with pharmacy water, which has a small amount of minerals. In the case of a large visual difference, water with tea is considered undrinkable. Another test of water quality with tea brewing: add a little raw water to freshly brewed tea. If the tea turns peach in color, then the water is clean and you can safely drink it, but if the tea becomes cloudy, then the water is undrinkable.

Method 3.

Perhaps this is the easiest way to test the quality of drinking water at home. To do this, simply fill the bottle with water and put it in a dark place for two days. After this period, check the condition of the contents of the bottle. If the water has turned greenish, an oily film has formed on its surface, and plaque has appeared on the walls of the bottle, then the water is undrinkable. If there are no changes, then the water is clean.

Method 4.

You can also check the quality of drinking water at home by boiling it. Boil water in a previously thoroughly washed container. This must be done within 10-15 minutes. Then drain the contents of the dishes and carefully inspect its walls for suspicious scale. If the water contains a large amount of iron oxides, then the scale will be dark gray. If the water contains an increased amount of calcium salts and oxides, then the precipitate will have a light yellow tint.

Method 5.

To check the quality of drinking water at home, you can use a simple clean glass or mirror. For an examination, simply drop a small amount of water onto the surface of a glass or mirror and wait a couple of minutes for the liquid to evaporate. If a trace remains after evaporation, then the water has some amount of impurities, and it is better to conduct a complete check of the water quality; if the surface of the glass or mirror remains clean, then the water is not polluted.

Method 6.

Checking the quality of water at home is possible using ordinary potassium permanganate. Dissolve a small amount of this substance in water and observe the reaction of the liquid. If the water acquires a yellowish tint, then it is unfit for consumption.

Method 7.

If you have an aquarium with Unionidae mollusks in your house, then you can also check the quality of drinking water with their help. If Unionidae mollusks close their shells while in water, then this liquid has some amount of impurities.

Method 8.

The easiest way to check the quality of tap water for hardness is to wash your hands with soap and water. If the soap does not foam well, and a strong scale forms in the kettle during boiling, then the water has a high degree of hardness. It is important to boil such water before drinking.

Method 9.

You can check the quality of water at home by rubbing soap into hot water. If it dissolves completely, then the water is pure.

Use to purify water

How to check the quality of water in an apartment using test systems

You can also check the quality of the water in the apartment using a testing kit, which is sold in the most ordinary pet store in the aquarium department, or in water filter companies. So, to test the water at home, you will need:

Hydrogen test kit (pH);

Special test to determine the level of water hardness (GH hardness);

Test for the determination of dissolved iron Fe2+ and Fe3+, while Fe3+ will need a separate test;

Tests for nitrates, nitrites, manganese, ammonium, sulfides, fluorides.

There are also universal kits for testing water quality at home: “Spring”, “Well”, “Well”, “Professional”, etc. The price is more than affordable: from 275 to 1500 rubles. When choosing a test kit for testing water quality at home, pay attention to the manufacturer: imported kits are more accurate.

When checking the quality of water, the pH acidity level (according to GOST it does not exceed 6.5-9) can be measured in two ways:

Dip litmus paper into the test water sample and compare its color with the instructions on the test package.

Take a certain amount of water and pour it into a flask with a reagent. Shake well and then dip the test strip into the resulting solution. Compare the result with the instruction.

When checking water for the level of hardness, take the required amount of water and add a reagent drop by drop to it. After that, the contents of the flask are shaken until the color of the liquid changes. When the color of the solution turns olive green, stop shaking the flask. The result of the analysis is determined by the number of drops of the reagent. According to GOST, it should not exceed 7.

Checking water for quality also involves determining the level of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions in water. To do this, mix a sample of water with the provided reagents in a flask. By the brightness of the resulting color of the liquid, we determine the level of Fe2 + content. By mixing a new pure sample of the same water with other proposed reagents, we set the number of Fe3+ ions according to the same scheme.

Checking the quality of water in an apartment using test systems gives very approximate results. If you want to get the most accurate result of testing water for quality, then it is better to contact a special laboratory, which contains everything you need.

How to check water quality with special meters

There are other ways to test water quality. There are special devices, the so-called TDS-meter, PH-meter, and ORP-meter. These meters allow you to get the most accurate results at home.

With the help of meters, you can evaluate the following water parameters:

The level of acidity of water pH is an indicator of the activity of hydrogen ions in the liquid. When testing water for quality by measuring the amount of hydrogen, pay attention to the fact that at room temperature the pH level should be equal to 7, then this is a neutral aquatic environment. If the pH is greater than 7, then the aquatic environment is considered alkaline, if less, it is acidic.

At birth, the fluid in the human body has a pH level of 7.41 - an indicator of a slightly alkaline environment. Drinking water with this level of acidity is considered beneficial for the body. Due to the use of poor-quality water, the acidity level of the fluid in the body can drop to a critical level of 5.41, which will lead to death. Therefore, it is very important to check the quality of the water you drink daily.

Salts dissolved in water are measured in mg/l. When testing water for quality with an assessment of the amount of salts dissolved in it, it is necessary to remember the following indicators:

Distilled water - 0-50 mg / l.

Weakly mineralized water - 50-100 mg / l.

Bottled water, from wells and springs - 100-300 mg / l.

Water from reservoirs - 300-500 mg / l.

Technical / industrial water - over 500 mg / l.

There are no exact indicators of the measured level of salts dissolved in water. Even the World Health Organization cannot set a recommended amount. Checking water for the content of salts dissolved in it in different countries has absolutely individual indicators for suitability for consumption: from 500 to 1000 mg / l.

Remember that mineral water cannot be taken continuously. The level of its TDS can be up to 15 g / l. Mineral water is prescribed for medicinal purposes.

Otherwise, it is also called redox potential. When testing water for ORP (redox potential), you should know the designation of a measure of the ability of a chemical to attach electrons - mV. At the same time, the level of human ORP has a negative indicator: (-200; -70). Ordinary water has strictly positive indicators: (+100; +400). These measurements depend on several factors: temperature, pH level and dissolved oxygen in the water.

When water enters the human body, it penetrates into our tissues and thus takes electrons from cells that are made of water. As a result, the biological structure of the body is oxidized, which leads to gradual destruction.

The human body needs energy to recover. Its consumption leads to wear and tear of internal organs and aging.

Drinking water has an ORP level close to that of a human. Then the body will spend less energy on the absorption of such a liquid. At the same time, the electrical potential of cell membranes is not consumed, which has a positive effect on human health. Therefore, when testing water for quality, it is imperative to take into account the level of ORP.

How and where can you check the quality of water from a well

Checking the quality of water from a well is required at least once every few years. Above, we have already said that the composition of water from a well is constantly changing depending on the influence of external factors: natural and human. Soil located near factories and factories is constantly exposed to toxic and chemical contamination, which negatively affects the water it contains. Therefore, it is very important to check the quality of water from a well at least once every couple of years, because the owners of factories and plants will not warn you about the poisoning of nearby water bodies.

If the well was drilled quite recently, then it is worth checking the quality of the water from the well 3-4 weeks after the work done.

Water analysis from wells is carried out in laboratories. Testing the quality of water from a well in the laboratory has a different set of services and the corresponding cost, depending on the organization chosen. Of course, it is better to give preference to a reliable company with a high rating and good reviews. Such organizations are much more interested in quality water testing than fly-by-night companies. In addition, often small companies do not have their own laboratory, unlike large enterprises. This fact slows down the process of checking the quality of water, because samples for analysis are taken to other institutions. When choosing an organization, pay attention to the presence of a laboratory and state accreditation.

The laboratory you have chosen, which will test the quality of the water from the well, is obliged to conclude an agreement with you. It will list all the tests and analyzes carried out, and will also indicate the type of document that will be issued to you after the examination. It also reflects the time and cost of the work.

After completing the documentation, a specialist will be sent to you to take a water sample for quality control. The liquid will be collected in a sterile container designed for this purpose, on which the time and place of sampling are immediately indicated. The specialist will take two samples: for chemical and microbiological testing of water quality.

As soon as the samples are ready, the expert immediately delivers them to the laboratory, and the water quality test begins.

First, the organoleptic properties of the liquid are examined. Then the chemical and microbiological composition of the water is determined.

As soon as the water quality test is completed, you will be given a special document, which will indicate the numerical indicators of water according to various data. The protocol will contain the results of the study and recommendations for the elimination of identified contaminants. If the examination was carried out in a small organization that does not have its own laboratory, then it will take one and a half to two weeks to receive the protocol.

Checking the quality of water from a well or a well involves a number of different examinations: organoleptic, chemical, microbiological and complex analyses. As a rule, in laboratories, when testing water quality, they rely on such indicators, how:

The activity of hydrogen ions. The moderate level of water acidity is 6-9. If the level of dissolved hydrogen exceeds these indicators, then it acquires an unpleasant odor and becomes soapy to the touch. If the indicators are underestimated, then this indicates an increased acidity of the water.

Hardness level. When checking water quality, attention is also paid to the amount of magnesium and calcium ions. Water with an increased level of hardness has a harmful effect not only on the human body, but also on household appliances, leaving a whitish scale on it. According to the SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 standards, the hardness of drinking water should not exceed 7-10 mg-eq / l.

Mineralization. This is an indicator of the amount of organic and inorganic substances dissolved in water. According to the established WHO standards, the degree of mineralization of water should not exceed 1000 mg/l. If the water quality test has set a higher mineralization value, then this will significantly worsen the taste of the water.

Nitrates. The amount of nitrates should not exceed 45 mg/l. Deviations from these standards may indicate contamination of the soil.

sulfates and chlorides. If sulfates should be in water no more than 500 mg / l, then the level of chlorides is 350 mg / l.

Oxidability. According to established standards, when testing water for quality, oxidizability should be 5-7 mg / l.

Microbiological analysis when testing water for quality in the laboratory involves counting living microorganisms in 1 ml of liquid. As a rule, there should be no microorganisms in the water from the well, since their presence indicates contamination by human and animal secretions.

When checking the quality of water from a well, organoleptic indicators of water are also evaluated.

Price The laboratory testing of water quality from a well is ambiguous, it depends on many factors: the popularity of the company, the availability of additional services and mandatory analytical parameters. On average, the price of testing the quality of water from a well in a laboratory will cost 5,000-7,000 rubles.

How to check the quality of distilled water

If in production and everyday life you can get by with ordinary water from natural reservoirs, then for various chemical and biological analyzes it is necessary to use distilled water. Although it undergoes maximum purification from all kinds of impurities, it still needs regular quality checks.

Distilled water is a good solvent because it has no impurities. It is also used in the processing of laboratory glassware. Checking the quality of distilled water is a mandatory procedure, since the deterioration of its properties can lead to false analytical and experimental studies. Distilled water is used in both medicine and pharmaceuticals.

Distilled water is also in demand among drivers who care about the safety of a car battery. While tap water gradually degrades battery performance, distillate prolongs battery life, so it is important to check the quality of distilled water.

Checking the quality of distilled water includes:

Check for impurities

It is known that distilled water is completely purified from all kinds of impurities, so it is impossible to check its quality based on color, taste, smell, etc. However, checking distilled water for quality is possible using special equipment that allows you to determine:

Sodium chloride and other chemicals.

Microscopic organisms (bacteria and algae).

Conductivity of electric current.

Transparency, etc.

Conductivity test

The more foreign substances in the water, the higher its ability to conduct electricity. In this regard, it is very important to test distilled water for electrical conductivity. To do this, we need to create a circuit from an ordinary light bulb and a battery. The ends of the wires formed from the connecting contacts must be immersed in distilled water. It is important to keep a small distance between them. Watch the light bulb: if it does not light up, then the water is free of impurities.

The use of special devices

In any specialized store, you can purchase salt meters, chlorine meters, pH meters and conductometers, which are designed to test water for quality. They are so easy to use that they can even be used at home:

Salt meters help to check distilled water for foreign impurities. According to state standards, the amount of impurities in distilled water should not exceed 5 mg/l;

Chlorometers Ideal for testing distilled water for salt content. At the same time, the norm for distilled water is the amount of salt not more than 0.02 mg / l;

pH meters help to check distilled water for acidity level, i.e. content of hydrogen dissolved in water. Fully purified water has a pH level of 5.4 to 6.6, not 7. the next moment after receiving such water, a reaction occurs with carbon dioxide from the air. Carbon dioxide appears, upon decomposition into ions, the pH of water decreases;

Conductometers allow you to check the quality of distilled water for electrical conductivity. If distilled water meets the state quality standard, then its electrical conductivity should be no more than 0.5 mS/m.

How to check and improve water quality

The quality of drinking water is an important factor influencing the state of human health, so it is necessary to conduct regular water testing. As modern practice shows, water purification from impurities without special equipment is practically impossible. Therefore, the Biokit water treatment system will help you. With its help, your water will be freed from heavy metals, all kinds of chemical and biological impurities, and a specific smell.

You can purchase a water purification system from Biokit online on our website. Also here you will find water filters and other equipment designed to improve water quality.

Water filters are easy to use, so they are perfect for home use. With their help, you can clean the liquid from visible impurities, however, to improve the quality of water, you are better off using more serious equipment, such as a Biokit water treatment system. This is an excellent device that allows not only to improve the quality of water, but to rid it of heavy metals and salts, increase the level of softening, remove rust from the water supply system and enrich water with a number of elements beneficial to human health.

In addition to the above operations, Biokit specialists are ready to answer your questions regarding improving water quality, removing scale, getting rid of rust and other impurities, water disinfection. Our staff will also help you:

Assemble a water filter with your own hands at home.

Choose a specialized set of filter media.

Properly select replacement material for filtration.

Hire professional installers.

Answer all questions regarding the improvement of water quality in a telephone conversation.

It’s a completely normal situation, you come home from work, and you don’t have water in the tap, or some kind of incomprehensible dregs is flowing. How to act in such a situation?

Step one.

It is necessary to contact the emergency dispatch service of the organization that is the executor of public services. In the vast majority of cases, the utility service provider is a management company or HOA.

A message about a violation of the quality of a public service can be made by the consumer in writing or orally (including by phone) and is subject to mandatory registration by the emergency dispatch service. At the same time, you are obliged to report your last name, first name and patronymic, the address of the apartment, and what exactly is broken in you (no water). Emergency dispatcher is obliged to provide you with information about the person who received the consumer's message (last name, first name and patronymic), the number for which the consumer's message is registered, and the time of its registration.

If an employee of the emergency dispatch service of the contractor knows the reasons for the violation of the quality of the utility service, he is obliged to immediately inform the consumer who has applied and make a corresponding note in the message log.

That is, based on the requirements of paragraph 107 of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 dated May 6, 2011, if the management company knows the reasons for the lack of water, it may not draw up an act, and then the recalculation is made on the basis of entries in the registration logs.

If the emergency dispatch service does not register a consumer's message about a violation of the quality of public services or their failure to provide, the consumer has the right to require the contractor to pay penalties (fines, penalties).

Step two.

If the employee of the emergency dispatch service does not know the reasons for the lack of water, he is obliged to agree with you on the date and time of the inspection of the fact of a violation of the quality of the utility service.

The time for such an inspection is appointed no later than 2 hours from the moment the consumer receives a message about the violation of the quality of the utility service, unless a different time is agreed with the consumer.

At the end of the audit, an audit report is drawn up.

Step three.

If the utility service provider does not draw up an act?

If during the audit between the consumer and the contractor, other interested participants in the audit, a dispute arose regarding the fact of a violation of the quality of the utility service, then the consumer and the contractor, other interested participants in the audit determine the procedure for further verification of the quality of the utility service.

Any interested participant in the audit has the right to initiate an examination of the quality of the utility service.

If none of the interested participants in the audit initiated an examination of the quality of the utility service, but at the same time there is a dispute between the consumer and the contractor, other interested participants in the audit regarding the fact of a violation of the quality of the utility service, then the date and time of the re-audit of the quality of the utility service with the participation of invited by the representatives of the State Housing Inspectorate of the Russian Federation, representatives of the public association of consumers. In this case, the date and time of the re-inspection must be indicated in the inspection report.

The act of re-inspection is signed, in addition to the interested participants in the inspection, also by a representative of the state housing inspectorate in the Russian Federation and a representative of a public association of consumers. The contractor is obliged to transfer to the specified representatives 1 copy of the act of re-inspection.

Step four.

We are writing an application for recalculation.

The Contractor bears administrative, criminal or civil liability established by the legislation of the Russian Federation for:

a) violation of the quality of providing utility services to the consumer;

b) harm caused to the life, health and property of the consumer as a result of a violation of the quality of the provision of public services, due to the failure to provide the consumer with complete and reliable information about the public services provided;

c) losses caused to the consumer as a result of a violation by the contractor of the rights of consumers, including as a result of an agreement containing conditions that infringe on the rights of the consumer in comparison with the requirements of the law;

d) non-pecuniary damage (physical or moral suffering) caused to the consumer as a result of a violation by the contractor of the rights of consumers provided for by the housing legislation of the Russian Federation.

An application for recalculation is written in free form with the obligatory indication of the full name of the consumer, the address of the apartment and the time of absence of the utility service.

According to part 4 of article 157 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation:

When providing public services with interruptions exceeding the established duration, the amount of payment for public services is changed in the manner established by the Government of the Russian Federation. In this case, the person guilty of violating the continuity of the provision and (or) quality of public services is obliged to pay the consumer a fine determined in the amount and in the manner established by the Government of the Russian Federation.

If the utility provider does not recalculate, you have the right to go to court, and then the contractor will pay you a fine in the amount of 50 percent of the amount awarded by the court in your favor.

If there is no water for a long time?

In case of termination or restriction of water supply due to an accident, in case of deterioration in the quality of drinking water, or in other cases, the local government is obliged to provide the population with drinking water within one day, including by supplying water. (clause 9 of Federal Law No. 416-FZ of 07.12.2011).

Main regulatory documents:

1) Housing Code of the Russian Federation,

2) Federal Law of December 7, 2011 N 416-FZ (as amended on December 29, 2015) "On Water Supply and Sanitation",

3) Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6, 2011 N 354 "On the provision of public services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings",

4) “Drinking water. Hygienic requirements for water quality of centralized drinking water supply systems. Quality control. SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01".

Vitaly Petrov for nkzhkh.rf

Tim Skorenko

Chapter 1

Let's start with the fact that ideal water, defined by the chemical formula H2O, does not exist in nature at all. Many people think that H2O is distilled water, but this is not true: even in distilled water, obtained by distillation in special apparatus, atmospheric gases are dissolved - oxygen, nitrogen and argon, plus a number of others, and therefore it is not ideally pure. There is a well-known physical trick used during science shows - the experimenter plunges his hand with a hair dryer or toaster plugged into the network into a filled aquarium, and he is not shocked. The aquarium is simply filled with distilled water that does not conduct electricity. Although, in fact, the specific electrical conductivity of such water according to GOST is not zero, but 0.5 mS / m, that is, the current goes on, just so insignificant that it is safe for health. Well…how safe. In no case do not repeat this at home, because such tricks require special training.

Laboratory distiller for obtaining distilled water. Such a device produces about 3 liters per hour, in principle, you can install it at home. But why?

One way or another, distilled water is a technical liquid. It is used in areas where scale should not be allowed to form, for example, for flushing cooling systems in internal combustion engines, when working with batteries and other elements of the electrical system. You can pour it into the iron - there will also be no scale. It is also widely used in pharmaceuticals (and not even her, but the so-called bidistilled water, which has gone through two stages of distillation). You can also drink it. But, firstly, it is not very tasty (in fact, distilled water does not have a pronounced taste, and drinking it is like breathing ordinary air, a mechanical process that does not have a sensual component). And secondly, not all salts removed during distillation are useless for the body - on the contrary, water should serve as their source. That's why various useful mineral water is sold. Many mistakenly believe that distilled water is expensive and rare, but here we will disappoint you: it is sold at any gas station and costs 100 rubles for 5 liters, about the same as ordinary drinking water in stores. Everything, with distilled water sorted out. You can drink it, but to some extent it is pointless.

Chapter 2

Tap water begins its journey in the river water intake systems and flows from there to water treatment plants. In Moscow, for example, there are four such stations - in principle, one can roughly imagine the volume of work of each station, taking into account the size of the city. There are cities that do not have their own reservoirs - water comes there from remote rivers, lakes, reservoirs or “foreign” water intake systems, but one way or another it is treated at stations. Water is treated, in particular, with sodium hypochlorite (many city dwellers complain about "bleach", well, this is its modern, safe and odorless version; 20 years ago they treated it simply with chlorine, and then the water smelled of "bleach" is simply inhuman). Ozonation, cleaning with carbon filters and a number of other methods are also used. In fact, the technology is highly dependent on the specific country, city, geographical and social factors. Popular Mechanics once wrote about water purification in Mosvodokanal, read it, it’s very interesting.

This is where the "but" comes in. From the purification station to your faucet, water travels a very long way. And the tanks and pipes of the water supply network in Russia do not always meet the standards of their operation in terms of time. In other words, many houses built before the war, on the one hand, are remarkable monuments of the avant-garde, but on the other hand, they have hydraulic systems that are completely unusable due to their age. A typical example is, for example, the constructivist communes of Yekaterinburg. In many houses of the 1930s series, there were no kitchens initially (it was assumed that food for workers would be centralized in kitchen factories), they were “built in” into the layout along with water supply systems in the 1950s, and since then the pipes have been lying, leaving rust in the water and not only. Ideally, of course, tap water should meet the SanPiN for the maximum content of various substances (MPC), sometimes very unpleasant. These are iron, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, aluminum, magnesium, fluorine, hydrogen sulfide, calcium, magnesium, chlorine - not all at once and not always, but nevertheless. The reasons for the appearance of certain compounds in water are different. For example, lead can enter the water supply from sewage that is discharged into a river and then into a water intake for treatment. Iron, zinc and copper are most often the result of contact with pipes and tank walls. And aluminum is added to water at treatment plants as a coagulant. The norms for the content of these substances are generally quite small (say, for mercury, which is a poison, this figure is 0.0005 mg per 1 liter), but they are not zero.

According to independent researchers, water in large cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan - meets all standards. But, firstly, today it satisfies, but not tomorrow. Secondly, there is the concept of individual intolerance - for example, the norms for pregnant women differ from the typical ones in a smaller direction. Thirdly, many substances have properties to accumulate. So compliance with GOSTs is not a panacea. Moreover, any norms are a compromise between the physiological needs of a person and his economic capabilities. You can make water better - but it will cost much more. And since we use up to 95% of drinking water for household purposes, such a compromise is perfectly reasonable. The conclusion is simple: you can drink tap water (it is better to boil it at the same time), but additional processing will not hurt it.

Chapter 3. Artesian waters: what to buy in the store

The simplest solution to the problem of “bad water” is to buy bottled water from the store. Moreover, it can be not only pure, but also mineral, that is, enriched with substances useful to humans. According to the degree of mineralization, such water is divided into three types - table (total mineralization up to 1 g / l), medical table (1 - 10 g / l) and medicinal (more than 10 g / l or a high content of individual elements). Boiling mineral water is not worth it - the salts will precipitate - but drinking it is pleasant and healthy. The path of mineral water most often starts from an artesian well located on the territory of the manufacturing enterprise. The term "artesian" means that water is taken from an aquifer lying deep enough between two water-resistant layers of rock. The main value of such water is that it is not affected by anthropogenic polluting factors (although, of course, there are exceptions - for example, an artesian reservoir can be polluted by oil spills as a result of improperly planned drilling). It happens that melt water from mountain streams or other sources of water are used, which also do not have contact with man-made pollutants.

AquaGroup

Actually, such water is basically mineral in itself. For example, the legendary "Essentuki", depending on the well, have one or another natural mineralization. Say, "Essentuki" No. 17 is bicarbonate-chloride-sodium, that is, it contains bicarbonates with a volume of more than 600 mg / l, chlorides with a volume of more than 200 mg / l, as well as Na + cations. Artificial mineralization is most often carried out in order to give the water a more pleasant, familiar taste. There are special additives for mineralization, as well as mineralizer devices. Do they make sense? Of course. In the mass of its natural mineralization is sufficient, and the choice of waters containing a wide variety of substances is huge. But if water is not bought in a bottle, but comes from a tap, it can and even sometimes needs to be artificially saturated with minerals. Let's put it this way: artificial mineralization exists in parallel with the sale of natural mineral water and does not pretend to be its "niche". Summing up: you can buy bottled water in stores. Usually this is artesian water, and additionally purified. In any case, it will be better than tap water, and richer in useful composition than distilled. There are two stopping factors: firstly, the cost - water is not very expensive, but you need a lot of it. And secondly, the need for constant supplies. Even 19-liter tanks run out quickly, and you need to buy new ones. Not to mention the five-liters.

Chapter 4. Home cleaning: filters and reverse osmosis

The fourth type of water that we can get in the city is tap water that has passed through an additional filter. Desktop, in the form factor of a jug, or more complex, installed under the sink. Many people consider such filters a panacea (this is not true), others, on the contrary, are sure that they are of no use (this is also not true). The filter is most often imagined as a kind of mesh through which large particles of contaminants cannot pass. This is the correct idea of ​​the very first stage of filtration, which filters out mechanical impurities - but the main cartridge in a good filter is a completely different device, the so-called reverse osmosis membrane. Osmosis was discovered a long time ago - in 1748 it was observed and described by the French physicist Jean-Antoine Nollet, and at the beginning of the 19th century, another Frenchman, Henri Dutrochet, studied this phenomenon in detail and published a number of works on it, which are still fundamental. The essence of the phenomenon is as follows. Imagine that we have two solutions of different concentrations, separated by a partially permeable membrane that allows the molecules of the solvent to pass through, but not the solute. As a result of osmosis, a solvent from a less concentrated solution will penetrate through the membrane into a more concentrated one - up to equality of concentrations. In the case of water, salts are solutes, and water is a solvent. Excessive hydrostatic pressure, which leads to equalization of the concentration in both zones, is called osmotic pressure.

But if a pressure greater than osmotic pressure is applied to a more concentrated solution, then osmosis will become reversed - that is, the solvent will penetrate from a zone with a higher pressure to a zone with a lower one, from a more concentrated solution to a less concentrated one. Since osmosis separates the solvent and the solute at the molecular level, almost pure water accumulates on one side of the reverse osmosis filter membrane. “Practically”, because, as we wrote at the very beginning, it is impossible to purify water by 100% under any circumstances, something will still penetrate and remain. The higher the pressure on the solution, the more efficient the passage of the solvent (water) through the membrane. A reverse osmosis filter is somewhat similar to a juicer. We press the orange to the grater, the juice passes through it, but the peel, films, seeds and everything else that we don’t like so much do not pass. And when this happens at the molecular level, filtration approaches distillation in quality. The disadvantage of such a filter is the speed of operation. It works very slowly, and therefore must necessarily have a storage tank. The second disadvantage is that reverse osmosis is a very high-quality cleaning method. Like, imagine, an eternal light bulb. On the one hand, it is nice that it is always on, on the other hand, with such bulbs, all electric companies will go bankrupt, and there will be no light bulbs. Therefore, after purification, reverse osmosis water is artificially mineralized (just what we wrote about earlier) with calcium and magnesium in optimal concentrations. Well, or other substances - mineralizers are different. This, among other things, gives the water a more familiar taste.

Filters with reverse osmosis membranes are relatively expensive (on average from 6,000 to 15,000 rubles), but do not forget that this device is installed for many years, like, say, a refrigerator or TV. In Russia, a major manufacturer of filters is, for example, the Aquaphor company, there are a number of other manufacturers - the choice depends on specific requirements and a detailed consideration of a particular model. The “bonus” of Russian filters relative to German ones is that the quality is equivalent, and the manufacturers are closer, that is, installation and maintenance will be from the original company, and not from a dealer who deals with a number of brands. So, a home filter is a good thing. Yes, for certain purposes you still have to buy bottled water - for example, if you need some specific mineral water with specified mineralization parameters. Or, say, distilled, for filling the battery. But since we still use tap water for most domestic - and culinary in particular - tasks, reverse osmosis purification and subsequent artificial mineralization is the best solution for a big city. If you live in the Shelter 11 area at an altitude of 4100 meters on Elbrus, then this article does not concern you - at such an altitude, exaggerating, you can even eat snow, and it will be many times cleaner and healthier than tap water.

P.S. Beware of scammers!

We can't add. Recently, a huge number of scammers and anti-scientific methods of "purifying" water have been divorced. Absolutely any context in which you see the terms “structured water”, “structured water” and the like is fraudulent. Water has no memory, does not react in any way to hieroglyphs, mantras and other attempts at structuring, and the famous film "The Great Secret of Water" is pseudoscientific and refers to non-science fiction, not documentary. Be carefull!

As part of the rolling study of Roskachestvo, 58 samples of drinking water without gas, the most popular on the Russian market, were studied. Laboratory tests were carried out on 98 quality and safety indicators. The cost of products at the time of purchase ranged from 20 to 260 rubles. The vast majority of goods were manufactured in Russia, while the products of Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Norway, Finland, and France were presented in the rolling study. According to the results of laboratory tests, the goods of only nine brands confirmed their high quality, as they met not only the requirements of the current quality and safety standards, but also the requirements of the leading Roskachestvo standard. We are talking about water under the trademarks "Volzhanka", "Lipetsk byuvet", "Novoterskaya", "Oh! Our Family”, “Simple Kindness”, ARCTIC, AQUANICA (5 liters), Bon Aqua and EVIAN. All these products, with the exception of water under the EVIAN trademark, are produced in Russia, and therefore a proposal was made to producers of high-quality water to undergo a voluntary certification procedure, after which a decision will be made to award the goods with the Russian Quality Mark. Goods under the EVIAN trademark will not be able to qualify for the Russian Quality Mark due to their foreign origin. The study showed that, in general, most of the tested products can be considered high-quality and safe, however, laboratory tests also revealed 12 products with violations.

RUSSIAN QUALITY SYSTEM STANDARD

The standard of the Russian Quality System has established for drinking water without gas, applying for the Russian Quality Mark, tougher (leading) requirements for the content of harmful and potentially hazardous chemicals, pesticides and some insecticides.

Tougher requirements were also introduced for the smell of water, the phenolic index of its composition and the hydrogen index. In general, packaged drinking water, claiming the right to be labeled with the Russian Quality Mark, must meet the requirements of physiological usefulness for water of the highest category (with the exception of certain indicators). The required level of product localization for awarding it with the Russian Quality Mark is at least 98% of the cost of goods.

What kind of water is there?

In the mind of the consumer, packaged water is divided into two categories: sparkling water and non-carbonated water. Roskachestvo chose water without gas as the subject of its first study of water. It contains water of three different classes: drinking water of the first category, drinking water of the highest category and mineral drinking watera. Consumers are advised to pay special attention to the category of water indicated on the marking (label). The fact is that water, depending on the category, varies greatly in its properties and origin. So:

Drinking water of the first category- this is source water without treatment or after water treatment, which can be obtained from various sources (for example, from a banal water supply system). After filtration, useful elements are introduced into the water. The main mandatory requirement for a product in this category is its complete safety for human health.

Drinking water of the highest category- water, which, as a rule, is extracted from well-protected water sources (for example, from artesian wells, springs). Products of the highest category, in contrast to the "first-class", in addition to safety, must carry mandatory benefits for the consumer. The requirements for such water are much stricter than for the goods of the first category. Moreover, for water of the highest category, additional requirements are established for its physiological usefulness, for the content of biologically necessary macro- and microelements, for which not only the maximum maximum permissible concentrations are established, but also the minimum and optimal norms of physiological usefulness for a person.

Mineral table drinking water- this is water obtained from a well, which has a registered and confirmed initial physico-chemical and microbial composition of substances. That is, useful (and sometimes not the most useful) elements are already incorporated into it by nature. The requirements for mineral water, compared to drinking water, are much softer, since the mineral composition of such water is difficult to predict (it depends on the well), which means that it is difficult to standardize.

By the way, another category of mineral water is medicinal water(for example, these are goods under the trademarks "Essentuki", "Narzan", etc.). This product is not presented in this rolling study of Roskachestvo, since it is a specific product. Such water is not suitable for regular consumption and should ideally be prescribed by doctors when patients have certain health problems.

Finally, as follows from the above, drinking water can also be classified by origin: it can be created, as they say, by nature itself (for example, extracted from a well) or artificially created by man (for example, taken from a water supply system, purified and subjected to “refining”) . However, as the study showed, the origin of drinking water will not be a determining criterion for its quality and composition.

Ideal environment. All about microbiological safety

It is known that in the case of water safety is a doubly important issue. First, a person regularly drinks water. Secondly, many consumers have long formed their preferences and use the products of certain manufacturers, perhaps not realizing the health consequences.

One of the key indicators of water safety is the so-called TMC (total microbial count). It is almost identical to the QMAFAnM indicator, with which some manufacturers of goods on the market have serious problems. Excesses in this indicator can indirectly indicate the presence of pathogenic bacteria or viruses in the water, as well as a violation of the operating modes of water treatment and bottling systems.

As laboratory tests have shown, in water that has undergone thorough industrial purification, that is, drinking water of the first and highest category, no problems have been identified in terms of general microbiological contamination.

However, three samples of mineral table drinking water turned out to be very “alive”: a relatively large amount of bacteria was found in their composition. As mentioned above, these could be pathogenic bacteria or viruses. They can have a negative impact on the human body, in particular on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The severity of the diseases caused depends on the variety of bacteria and on the toxicity of the poisons they secrete. Mandatory safety requirements in this part were violated by manufacturers of goods under the trademarks Arkhyz, Elbrus, Biovita. However, it is worth mentioning that the presence of an increased number of microbes in the water is not always the fault of the manufacturer. Perhaps the rules for transporting the goods or the conditions for its storage were violated.

The identified inconsistencies were recorded only in mineral water, since it is not subjected to additional processing, but is extracted from natural sources.

Hard liquid. About the hardness of drinking water

Water hardness is one of the defining characteristics of this product category. Hard water, even when used externally, dries the skin, and when ingested, it is at least bitter. This characteristic is closely related to the presence of calcium and magnesium salts in the liquid in the water, that is, the more of them, the higher its hardness. Quite often, ordinary tap water has a high coefficient of hardness. By the way, the hardness of water is easy to determine in domestic conditions: a white precipitate that remains on the dishes after boiling will tell about this.

However, the conclusions as a result of this laboratory test are encouraging: frankly hard, which means bitter water, was not found in the study. On the contrary, 17 samples of water of the first category and four samples of mineral water were noted as rather soft.

The same could be said about the water of the highest category Nordica, but for her "softness" was more critical. The fact is that Russian requirements for water of the highest category also set a lower threshold for values ​​​​for the hardness parameter. Nordica water turned out to be too soft for its category, which means that it cannot be fully called “highest category drinking water”, which automatically indicates a violation of consumer rights to reliable labeling.

In the dry residue from water: about the total mineralization

Theoretically, any water, except distilled, can be called mineral in one sense or another. In its pure form, H 2 O does not occur in nature, and for the human body, such water is more harmful than beneficial. The fact is that clean, not saturated with salts water will “pull” and remove salts from the body. That is, prolonged use of such water will definitely lead to serious diseases. Therefore, any water sold in stores contains dozens of different inorganic compounds.

In order to understand how much various mineral and organic substances are contained in the water, in laboratory conditions, the indicators of the total mineralization of the dry residue, that is, the actual mass of substances after water evaporation, are determined, and the total mineralization of drinking water is also calculated from the anion and cation content.

According to the results of laboratory tests, a relatively low level of total mineralization was recorded in 13 samples of drinking water of the first category. However, this water, we recall, does not pretend to be useful, it is "enough" for it to be safe.

Another thing is that in the water declared as “drinking water of the highest category” under the brand name Norda (Italy), there were only 77 mg/l of minerals, while the median indicators of other water in the corresponding category were 200–300 mg/l. That is, in fact, this water cannot be considered a product of the highest category, which is a violation of the rights of consumers to reliable labeling.

As for mineral table drinking water, according to the results of the study, in six of its samples the content of total mineralization of mineral salts is not optimal (in terms of the Unified Sanitary-Epidemiological and Hygienic Requirements for Goods), that is, it does not satisfy the physiological needs of a person (respectively, in four of them less, two more). This is not a violation, however, these products are deprived of the opportunity to qualify for the Russian Quality Mark.

How can I help you. All about anions and cations

Any drinking water, depending on the brand, water source, method of purification and enrichment with microelements, geography and even the depth of the well, is a unique cocktail of substances called anions and cations (positive and negatively charged ions). So, for example, cations include potassium, magnesium, iron, and anions - sulfates, fluorine and iodine. The content of these substances is often indicated by the product label, which indicates their percentage. It is difficult for an unprepared person to read it, so we suggest you use this short note, where all the pros and cons of the anions and cations contained in the water are described.

Separately, in this part of the study, it is worth dwelling on the problem of the content of calcium and magnesium in water. Firstly, it is believed that these elements affect the correct functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system. Secondly, the main discrepancy with the values ​​declared on the label was found precisely in terms of calcium and magnesium. For example, a relatively low content of magnesium was found in six samples of drinking water of the first category and in six samples of mineral table drinking water. The situation was better with the calcium content. But all this does not apply to water of the highest category, where a lack of magnesium was noted in three products, calcium - in one. Due to more stringent requirements for drinking water of the highest category, manufacturers of goods under the trademarks "Billa", "Glavvoda", "D" ("Dixie") and "Norda" violated the rights of consumers to reliable labeling of goods.

A similar problem was revealed in drinking water of the highest category under the brand name Courtois - it was found to contain much less iodine than the manufacturer promised.

Also, four samples of drinking water of the highest category contained less fluoride than indicated on the label. And this element has a positive effect on the health of teeth and bone tissue.

The form influences the content. About the container into which water is poured

Any water, even if it is as safe, of high quality and useful as possible, can always be easily spoiled in production. And this can be done with the help of dubious containers into which liquid is poured. It is believed that glass is the safest container for a person - water simply at the chemical level cannot enter into any reaction with it. This cannot be said about plastic - it, especially when heated, can potentially release harmful substances into the water. In the course of laboratory tests, traces of such a "migration" of substances were not recorded. In terms of safety, water in plastic containers did not differ on average from water in glass bottles. However, glass is the choice for those who want maximum guarantees for the safety of their drinking water.

Reference:

Pay attention to the label of drinking water. Often there is a note on it: "store in places protected from light." Water really needs to be kept away from light, as light causes water to bloom. Of course, water in which algae and other life forms develop their vital activity will be considered polluted.

A substance without taste, without color, without smell: about the aesthetic properties of water

Water is perhaps the most organoleptically neutral commodity imaginable. It will be difficult for an ordinary consumer to single out and somehow describe the taste, color, smell of water. At the same time, a person usually prefers a certain brand of water, and a third-party product can irritate both the taste buds and their owner.

In general, various mineral salts and their percentages can affect the taste of water, the characteristics of a particular well can affect the smell, the color will vary depending on the presence of various mechanical impurities or minerals in the composition. It is important to note that under laboratory conditions, the assessment of organoleptic properties is carried out under two temperature conditions, as required by the leading Roskachestvo standard. First, the water is heated to 20, and then to 60 degrees Celsius.

Almost all the water presented in the study under these conditions proved to be a high-quality product, at least in terms of aesthetic properties. The experts were embarrassed by the color (color) of only one sample - drinking water of the first category "Uleimskaya". It differed significantly from the values ​​of mandatory requirements, which, however, does not indicate the danger of such water. From a microbiological point of view, the sample is completely safe. It is possible that the color deviation could be affected by the characteristics of the container or the conditions of water storage.

Some experts insist that running water should still be boiled or filtered.

Correspondents of the TV channel "360 Podmoskovye" decided to take part in laboratory studies in order to understand which side is right.

“Moscow water can be drunk from the tap without additional purification. It meets all regulatory requirements,” said Ekaterina Ivanova, Leading Engineer of the Water Supply Department of JSC Mosvodokanal. To confirm or deny this statement, the 360 ​​Podmoskovye film crew went to independent experts. Together with them, the correspondents studied samples of the capital's water in the laboratory.

Sergey Sysoev, the leading ecologist of the laboratory center, took some water from an ordinary kitchen for analysis. For the objectivity of the analysis, it is collected in a specially prepared container. Then the expert drained part of the water and collected it again. This was done so that there were no air bubbles. Then the container was tightly closed and sent for analysis.

When the water turned pink, and the laboratory assistant, using a special scale, determined how much iron it contained. This figure was 0.1 milligrams per cubic liter, while the allowable rate is 0.3 milligrams. So, according to the content of iron, water is safe for health. Is it still possible to drink such water without thermal or any other treatment, the film crew asked ecologist Sergei Sysoev.

Such precaution is required because the water entering the Moscow apartments passes through the ground. It flows from the so-called surface groundwater from the Moskva River, Volga and reservoirs. 20 years ago it was disinfected with ordinary chlorine, now it is done with sodium hypochlorite. Mosvodokanal claims that it is safer, but Tatyana Farafonova, a candidate of biological sciences, believes that without filtration, constantly drinking raw water can be harmful to health.

“When water is chlorinated, organochlorine compounds, such as chloroform, are formed, they have a very carcinogenic effect on the liver, so if you drink water all the time without additional purification, you will get cirrhosis of the liver,” Farafonova said.

At the same time, the expert called the boiled water dead. Just like the one that flows from the so-called filter systems - those that are installed under the sink.

“Some people put filters on everything, but the water turns out to be dead, there is only H2O, and calcium and magnesium are needed there, so I don’t recommend cleaning the water to zero,” said an expert in the field of drinking water certification.

Instead, the specialist recommended putting a carbon filter at home. But the main thing is not to forget to change it in time. Otherwise, ideal conditions for bacteria are created in it at room temperature and constant humidity, which are also unsafe for the human body. published